Chris Harris takes on Ferrari

This is probably one of the most informative auto articles i’ve read in months.  Rather than the normal regurgitated press machine findings that we typically find on all of the Auto blogs Chris Harris from EVO Magazine recently made one hell of an op-ed piece on Jalopnik attacking Ferrari and their publicity and press machine.  To sum it up, Ferrari engages in some not so honest tests (like having tuned press cars that are faster than production cars, and showing up with multiple cars for different tests, straight line vs. corners).  I couldn’t believe it at first – and then when I thought a bit harder I did.

I guess what’s more embarrassing for Ferrari than being called out on their tactics is that other manufactures like Lamborghini, Audi, Porsche, and McLaren are producing press cars for review that are like the ones a customer receives and still being able to beat the Ferrari’s in a myriad of tests.  Top Gear last week had the Pagani Zonda R lap the test track seconds faster than Schumacher in the Ferrari FXX the year before.  Tiny boutique manufacture vs. multi-billion dollar research and test machine with F1 backing and the tiny manufacture can come out on top?

Maybe the Ferrari demi-god status isn’t everything we’ve been taught to believe?  Maybe that marketing and press machine has convinced us all of something that’s not entirely true.  I’m by no means stating that Ferrari’s are crap but that they aren’t alone in their performance capabilities and possibly don’t deserve the ultimate status society has given to them.  Lets not forget the Enzo Ferrari openly admitted to fleecing his customers for more money than his cars were worth simply to support his race team.  Maybe that mentality never quite left the factory floor?

Either way, the Chris Harris article is worth the read.  Check out here!